The notion of a mobile remotely controlled robot with a weapon mounted thereto is intriguing. The robot could be maneuvered into a hostile situation and the weapon fired by an operator positioned out of harms way. For the deployment of such a robot, several safety concerns need to be met. Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/732,875 filed Apr. 5, 2007 details various systems and methods for ensuring the weapon on a robot is not fired unless the operator so intends.
In the field, the robot typically begins at a position proximate the operator using an operator control unit (OCU) to maneuver the robot. As the robot is controlled by the operator using the operator control unit (OCU), the robot may be maneuvered out of sight of the operator. Indeed, the operator and the OCU may also move from the original starting position. Cameras on the robot can be used to show the operator objects within the field of view of the robot, but it can be difficult for the operator to decipher where the robot is in relation to the operator, how the robot is orientated, and its direction of travel. The orientation of the robot weapon with respect to the operator may not be known.
The result is that it is possible that the operator can command the robot to fire the weapon when the weapon is aimed at the operator.